Henry johnson



(No ModeL) H. JOHNSON.

RAILWAY SIGNAL. N0.315,'792. Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

' roman STATES Arena @rricn.

. HENRY JOHXSON, or FLIXTON, COUNTY or LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,792, dated April14, 1885.

Application filed January 8, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern:

, Be it known that I, HENRY JOHNSON, of FliXton, in the county ofLancaster, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRailwayfiignals, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to railwaysignal apparatus in which the movementsof semaphores or other visual signals are controlled by stop'platesconnected with the switches, as described in my Letters Patent No.294,880, dated March 11, 1884.

The invention consists in certain novel means, through which the controlof the visua-l signals by the stop-plates is effected, as hereinafterdescribed. 7

Figure 1 in the drawings is a face view ofa signal-instrumentconstructed according to my invention. .Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stop-plate and its bearings and thepart ofthe mechanism immediately connected with the stop-plate. Figs. 4and 5 are horizontal sections of the rod through which the signals arebrought to the safety-position, and through which they are controlled bythe stopplate.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

A designates the post or standard, to which are pivoted, respectively at14 and 1 5, the up per and lower semaphores, 34 and '35, which are soloaded at 34 and 35 as to 'keep their longer arms raised to thehorizontal or danger-indicating position shown in Fig. 1 when they arenot otherwise operated upon.

4% is a stop-plate,which is substantially like the stopplate describedin my hereinbeforementioned Letters Patentthat is to say, it containstwo notches or openings, f g, and it is to be connected in anysuitablemanner,as by a rod, 445, with the switch, or with the mechanism foroperating the same, that it will move I with the switch.

36 is an upright rod or shaft fitted to turn and also to movelongitudinally in guides 37 38, provided on the post A. Upon this rod orshaft there is a projection, 39, which may at times, by turning the saidrod or shaft, be brought above a projection, 34, provided upon thesemaphore 34, and there is also another projection, 40, upon the saidrod or (No model.)

I shaft which may be brought above the projection 35 upon the semaphore35; butthe said projections 39 and 40 are so arranged, as shown in Fig.5, which exhibits a section of the rod 36, that both are not at the sametime over the projections 34: and 35 on the somaphores, and hence. thateach will form a re.- movaole connection between one of the semawithoutacting on the other. The lower part of the rod 36 is provided with anarm, i1, which enters, as best shown in Fig. 3, be tween two studs, 4243, on the sliding stopmay be turned by the longitudinal movement of thesaid plate. Instead of the said arm and studs, it is obvious that atoothed rack and sector maybe employed to connect the said'arm and studsfor operation in the same manner. projection, 45, which is best shown inthe section Fig. 4,whioh enters a fork in the weighted lever 4?,which ispivoted to the post A. The weight 47* on this lever holds up the rod 36above the stop-plate when the said rod is not otherwise depressed. Thesaid lever 47 has a to depress the rod'36, for the purpose of setbehereinafter described.

I will suppose, for illustration, that the up per semaphoreis themain-line signal, and the lower one is a cross-over or branch-linesignal. Both semaphores are kept raised to the den ger position by theirloaded ends at 35? at all times, except while held to the safetyposition by the attendant manipulating the lever 47, and he can onlysetthe signals for safety when the switch is fully closed to the main lineor to the cross-over or branch, at which times one or other of thenotches f g in the stopplate will be under the rod 36, and permit thedescent of the said rod, which would be prebroken part of the stop-platebeing presented below the said rod.

The parts are represented in the drawings in position to permit theoperation of the upper semaphore, the opening f in the stop-plate beingunder the rod 36, and the projection 39 phores and the rod 36, wherebythe said rod may be made to pull down either semaphore said rod andplate as an equivalent to the.

The rod 36 is also furnished with a connection at 16 by which it may beoperated ting the signal to the safety position, as will plate 44, insuch manner that the said rod vented at all other times by a solid orunon the said rod being over the projection 34 on that semaphore, whichmay then be removed from danger by pulling the lever 47 in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, and so depressing the rod by the fork46. The projection 39 then, by its action on the projection 34,depresses the said semaphore. Upon the lever 47 being released, theweight 47 will cause the said lever to raise the rod 36, and so permitthe semaphore 34 to assume automatically the danger position by reasonof the preponderance of its weighted end 34".

When the switch is set for the cross-over or branch track, the opening 9in the stop-plate comes under the rod 36, which, during the act ofsetting, is turned by the action of the stud 42 on the projection 41 toa position in which its projection 39 is removed from over theprojection 34 on the upper semaphore and its pro jection 40 is over theprojection 35 on the lowersemaphore.. The lever 47 being then pulled, asbefore described, and the rod 36 being thus depressed, the projection 40acts on the projection 35, and so depresses the lower semaphore.

I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a coiled spring, 36, which connects therod 36 with its upper bearing, 37, for the purpose of raising the saidrod when no longer held down by the lever 47. When this spring isemployed, there need not be a fork at 46, but merely a projection on thelever 47, to bear on the top of the projection 45 on the rod 36. Thelever 47 need not be weighted if the connection at 16 be with a rigidrod or tube by which the lever may be pushed to raise the end 46, aswell as pulled to depress it.

It may be observed that in the signal apparatus herein described thesemaphores are selfraising to the danger position independently of anyaction of the lever 47 or any external means of raising them instead ofbeing raised by such a lever, as in my former patent, hereinbel'orereferred to.

In order to prevent the semaphores from being pulled down to the safetyposition by taking directly hold of them while the rod 36 is held up bythe stop-plate, there are provided on the said rod two stop-projections,17-one under each of the projections 34 35 on the semaphores. Theseprojections 17 might also serve the purpose of raising the signals tothe danger position if the latter were not weighted at 35, asdescribed.

I have not represented the switchdn the drawings, as its connection withthe stop-plate at 44 will be readily understood by persons skilled inthe art.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is'

1. The combination, with a semaphore-arm or visual signal, and astop-plate having a connection with a switch to be moved therewith, of arod arranged between said signal and stop-plate, a removable connectionbetween the said signal and rod, and a connection between the said rodand stop plate, whereby the said rod may be turned by the said plate toremove and replace the connection between the said rod and signal as thestop-plate is withdrawn from or replaced under the said rod,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The combination, with two semaphorearms or visual signals, and astop-plate having a connection with a switch to be moved therewith, of arod arranged between said signal and stop-plate, a removable connectionbetween the said rod and signal, and a connection betwen said rod andstop-plate whereby the said rod may be turned by the said plate toconnect either signaland disconnect the other, according to thedirection in which the said stop-plate moves with the switch,substantially as herein described.

3. The combination of the semaphores or signals 34 35, havingprojections 34 35, and the stop-plate 44, having two openings, as f g,the turning and longitudinally-moving rod or shaft 36, havingprojections 39 40, to act upon those 34 35 on the signals, and gearedwith the said stop-plate, substantially as herein described.

HENRY JOHNSON. Witnesses:

CHAS. R. ALLEN,

Solicitor and Notary Public, Manchester.

J OSEPH HOWARTH,

His clerk.

